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The Queen’s Rival

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About this listen

The forgotten story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. A strong woman who claimed the throne for her family in a time of war…

‘A compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman & Home

England, 1459. One family united by blood. Torn apart by war…

The Wars of the Roses storm through the country, and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, plots to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne.

But when the Yorkists are defeated at the battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily’s family flee and abandon her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.

Stripped of her lands and imprisoned in Tonbridge Castle, the Duchess begins to spin a web of deceit. One that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI, and to her eldest son being crowned King Edward IV.

‘O’Brien manages to reinvent historical fiction’ My Weekly

‘This thrilling historical novel has it all – high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing … It's a rollercoaster of a read’ Carol McGrath

‘Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman’s Weekly

©2020 Anne O'Brien (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Genre Fiction Historical Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Medieval Royalty Thriller & Suspense Fiction Middle Ages England War Heartfelt

Critic reviews

"One of the best writers around." (Sun)

"A terrific storyteller." (Daily Telegraph)

"This thrilling historical novel has it all - high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing.... It's a rollercoaster of a read." (Carol McGrath)
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I found the flow really spoilt (and rather tedious) by the repetition of each name and full title in each of the letters.

A good narrative

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Being a history buff,I try to read between the lines,in this book,a lot of letters were written,from mother to sons.I love intrigue.

The queen's rival.

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Written in the form of third party chronicles and letters . Not my favourite of this author’s books.

Queens Rival

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A wonderful reading of the life of Cecily, Duchess of York, mother to two English kings.
Although I was aware of Cecily due to interest in the family Plantagenet, listening to her life through some of the most tumultuous times in English history was both informative and interesting. It is so good to hear about those that play a second role, not always given their due place in our history and I found that to be true in this reading.

A most informative listen.

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I absolutely love this book, the way in letters are used to express the dynamics within her family are wonderful. Personally I love the format and the format of the letter’s addresses and have listened to this a LOT of times! I highly recommend this to any lover of historical fiction

Incredible representation of Duchess Cecily Neville

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